A collaboration between the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, the NMU Center for Native American Studies and the NMU School of Art and Design will result in the Great Lakes Indigenous Art, Education and Healing Project, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. This exhibit and workshop series will include student work, as well as workshops hosted by professional artists.

Four American Indian NMU students will be accepted for participation in the project and four will be accepted from the KBOCC. Applications are now open and available to be downloaded. Applications are due by Wednesday, March 10 at 5 p.m.

The limitation on participants is “due to intensity of art projects and limited resources,” according to the NMU event calendar. Those who are selected for attendance can attend two in-depth workshops, and two supplemental workshops on managing their own artistic enterprise, “art & entrepreneurship” and “art & healing”. In addition, they will receive guidance on how to photograph their own artwork and participate in an online exhibition.

The in-depth workshops will be lead by two American Indian artists. 

“The first workshop will be with Ojibwe artist, Michelle Reed; she will teach participants how to make a hand-stitched hide doll with full regalia,” according to the NMU event calendar.

These hide doll workshops will take place in Art and Design classroom 134, but participants will have the option of attending on Zoom as well. The sessions will occur from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 19, 20, 26 and 27, as well as April 2 and 3. 

“The second workshop will be with Ojibwe artist, Raeanne Madison; she will teach participants about teachings associated with and how to make a cradleboard,” according to the NMU event calendar.

These cradleboard workshops will occur on Zoom only, from 1 to 3 p.m. on April 9 and 10.